RIPR News
(2012-02-08)
Listen Now:
PROVIDENCE, RI
(RIPR) -
Governor Lincoln Chafee is supporting Providence's Supreme Court appeal of a decision barring the city from moving public safety retirees into Medicare.
null
Chafee says Providence's effort to move the retirees into Medicare is reasonable and necessary because of the city's dire fiscal condition.
He's filing a brief in support of Providence's appeal since the state has a significant interest in the case. In a statement, the governor says the outcome could affect efforts to shore up municipal finances throughout Rhode Island.
Superior Court judge Sarah Taft-Carter last month rejected Providence's attempt to move public-safety retirees from city-paid insurance to less-costly Medicare. Making that change would cut about a third of the capital city's $22 million deficit.
Do you have insight or expertise on this topic? Please email us, we'd like to hear from you. news@wrni.org.
© Copyright 2012, RIPR
